(no subject)

[katallison]

Hm. Slashcity's doing a server upgrade, and since mrks.org is hosted there, the path-to-server that my blog uses seems to be munged, so I'm just updating here for now. Also, my e-mail was out for intervals over the weekend; if anyone sent me private mail, could you resend? Thankee.

So, I've spent the last three days hunkered down, mostly, squeezing out the grim/bleak/grim/bleak, and rather wishing that I could get with the popslash program, because I could use some giddy glittery good cheer about now. I am also wishing I had more brain. Gee, it'd be nice to have a brain big enough to keep this whole frickin' thing in at once. As usual, with this story, I am trying to get a fix on just how loose-jointed and expansive I can be in something novel-length. With a short piece, I try--don't always succeed, mind you, but try--to make sure that every bit is tightly wrapped into the core and is doing something essential. With this thing, though... I have some scenes that I'm very fond of, that I want to include, and it's not like they're not doing a job, exactly, but they're not absolutely vital to the core mission. I'm leaving them in for now, but as a result the thing is starting to feel rather more like a big hairy slobbering mutt, rather than a sleek lean greyhound. Which may be just fine, I dunno. I've never written something even a sixth this long before, what the hell do I know?

I once read a piece of writing advice by C. J. Cherryh in which she spoke about the need to be stern with scenes that are essentially (quoting from fallible memory) "characters off in a corner having a little indulged moment." And as much as I might say, "But, but, these scenes are building character! They're, uh, creating atmosphere! And stuff!", there's no question that certain of them could be described as "indulged moments."

And maybe that's fine. Heck, I mean, after all, I am doing this for fun, aren't I? Eh? Right?
<crickets>

Ah well. I have one more week before I hit my deadline. At which point we give it a brush-over, tie a freakin' ribbon around its neck, and send it to the poor hapless betas. At the very least, I hope it'll be housebroken by then. Gah.

Comments

[rhi]

Hey, Kat? The time I wrote something novel-length and had the same bloody problem ('But damn it, it's a *good* scene!' 'Yeah, Rhi, but it's slowing the pacing of the story.') I just said the hell with it and posted the story... and a 'snippets' page. This way to the lost scenes type thing. I'm with you; some scenes, I want people to get to read, damn it, even if they *don't* fit. You might consider that as an alternative?

Good luck with the story; looking forward to it.

moments

[kassrachel.livejournal.com]

fwiw, I like the "indulged moments" in good fanfiction. More than in other types of novels, honestly. I suppose because I read fanfic out of love for the characters in question -- and the indulged moments are ways for me to indulge my general affection for, you know, Jim and Blair, or Fraser and Ray, or whatever.

Merry christmas!

Re: moments

[halimede.livejournal.com]

Seconded. Sorry to do the 'me too' thing, but yes, exactly. I think it's why fanfic exists. I like the snippets page idea aswell, if you *are* determined to train that slobbering mutt into a lean greyhound (and FWIW the greyhound sounds a lot less cuddly from where I'm standing).

[laurakaye.livejournal.com]

You know, if you can't do sparkly dance boys, the next happiest thing would be warm flannel Mounties.

Just sayin.

[flambeau.livejournal.com]

I'd be happy to sparkle all over you and see if it takes... ;-) Fwiw, I've never really been able to bond with anything by Cherryh; I once read three of her books in one volume and was left at the end still wondering who the characters were and why I should care about them. Maybe she should have let them sit in a corner and bond a couple of times.